LMH Mixtape #288: Castle Areas 2

Castles are a common setting in video games and this was the second time the Legacy Music Hour took on this topic, including all of the variety that comes with it.  A certain style may come to mind when you think of "castle" music, and there is certainly some of that in this mixtape, but castle themes can range from grand and regal to creepy or gloomy and even directions you might not expect.  For example, "Dark Castle" from Tenshi no Uta: Shiroki Tsubasa no Inori goes on an epic "rock opus" journey and "Stage 8 (In the Castle/Tension/Sucker Puncher/Completed)" from Stone Protectors has a futuristic, almost sci-fi sound to it.  You never know what you'll find, so let's explore some castles!

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant Favorite: Stone Protectors - Stage 8 (In the Castle/Tension/Sucker Puncher/Completed)

Another Favorite: Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals - Castle

Most Rockin': Tenshi no Uta: Shiroki Tsubasa no Inori - Dark Castle

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2025/09/episode-288-castle-areas-2.html

LMH Mixtape #287: Buttz

Episode 287 was a free play featuring a great assortment of third and fourth generation video game music.  "State of Mind" from Hany on the Road is a really fun PC Engine track that sounds very motivational.  "Title" from Mega Anser is a short but mysterious and intriguing track that will leave you wanting to hear more.  "Hustle Maruyama" from Dynamite Headdy has an absolutely frenetic energy that goes full sci-fi meltdown at the end.  There's a lot to enjoy here, so get off your "buttz" and jump into this mixtape!

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant Favorite: Hany on the Road - State of Mind

Another Favorite: Mamono Hunter Yohko: Dai 7 no Keishou - Scene 5: Snow and the Stars

Love those guitars: Flying Hero: Bugyuru no Daibouken - High in the Sky ~ Act 6

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2025/08/episode-287-buttz.html

LMH Mixtape #286: Interesting Music

This episodes's topic was an interesting one.  While open to interpretation, the general idea is simply tracks that are... well, interesting, whatever that means.  Maybe it means music for a more open-minded ear or maybe it just means pieces that do something cool or unusual and that stand out in a weird way.  "Paper Route" from Paperboy 2 lays down some distinctly Seinfeld-esque bass guitar.  "Theme of Psycho Soldier (1st Area)" from the 1987 arcade game Psycho Soldier has a full vocal track, which is not something you hear very often from this era.  And "Fiddler’s Green" from New Horizons will surprise you with some unexpected style changes.

So give it a shot and see if you can figure out what the topic is really about and maybe note how many times you find yourself thinking "hmm, that's interesting."

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instantly Interesting: Psycho Soldier - Theme of Psycho Soldier (1st Area)

Interestingly Funky: Paperboy 2 - Paper Route

Unexpected Ragtime: New Horizons - Fiddler’s Green

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2025/06/episode-286-interesting-music.html

Episode 294: Talking Hands

Lots of trailing pieces from last month (that is, familiar game titles) in this installment of the Legacy Music Hour, even though it is a free play.  For starters, Rob, Brent, and Gabe debate whether or not a track is Asiatic sounding (again, that's not the topic this episode).  They talk about meter and melody and the like.  And anyway, they also talk about other stuff and play good music as usual.  Full track listing below.

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Game - Composer - Track - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

King of Kings - Hirohiko Takayama - Title Screen - Atlus/Namco - Famicom - 1988

Ganbare Goemon Kirakira Douchuu: Boku ga Dancer ni Natta Wake - Kazuhiko Uehara, Yukie Morimoto - Planet Impact Town - Konami - Super Famicom - 1995

Jewel Master - Motoaki Takenouchi - Talk to the Wind - Sega - Genesis - 1991

Radia Senki: Reimei-hen - Keiji Yamagishi (More Yamasan), Hiroshi Miyazaki (Miya), Kaori Nakabai (Kaorin), Rika Shigeno (Rikarin) - Unknown Village Elfas - Tecmo - Famicom - 1991

Rushing Beat Shura - Atsuyoshi Isemura, Hyu - Mutant's Dungeon - Jaleco - Super Famicom - 1993

Crack Down - Yasuhiro Kawakami, Mecanoize (arr.) - Ambush - Sega/Sage's Creation - Genesis - 1991

Shackled - Azusa Hara, Michiya Hirasawa - Brey Wood Theme (Title Screen) - Data East - arcade - 1986

JB: The Super Bass - Eurhythm - JB Pro Shop - Gaps/Naxat Soft - Super Famicom - 1995

IronSword: Wizards & Warriors II - David Wise - Wind Mountain/Earth Caves - Rare/Acclaim - NES -1989

Monster Pro Wrestling - Kanta Watanabe - Title - Lenar/ASK - PC Engine - 1991

Socket - Fumito Tamayama, Yoko Suzuki, Shigenori Masuko, Yasuyuki Hamada - High Speed Area - Vic Tokai - Genesis - 1994

Nage Libre: Seijaku no Suishin - Yusuke Takahama, Michihiko Shichi - Map 1 - Varie - Super Famicom - 1995

Yuu Maze (Youmais) - Masahiko Takaki, Isao Mizoguchi (I. Mizuguchi) (arr.), Noboru Koshinaka (Koshi) (arr.) - Main BGM - Daiei Seisakusho/Taito - Famicom Disk System - 1988

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master - Masayuki Nagao, Hirofumi Murasaki, Morihiko Akiyama - My Dear D - Sega - Genesis - 1993

LMH Mixtape #285: Sega Versus Nintendo

Much like a SNES logo in the Sega font, the tracks for this episode were 50% Sega, 50% Nintendo, and 100% bonk.  Starting off with a killer track from Totally Rad, from the good folks at Jaleco (haa-lee-co)!  "Industen" is a fully orchestrated and epic piece from Actraiser 2 by none other than the famous Yuzo Koshiro.  "Mexico" from Saturday Night Slam Masters has a classic old west style that really shines on the Genesis hardware.  There's no need for a console war when both sides have such bangers, so check out this mixtape that brings the best of both worlds.

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant Favorite: Totally Rad - Prologue/Cutscene 3, 5 and 6

Another Favorite: Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special - World Championship Victory

A distinctly Konami Jam: TwinBee 3: Poko Poko Dai Maou - Final Stage Normal (Stage 5)

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2025/06/episode-285-sega-versus-nintendo.html

LMH Mixtape #284: Nice Distractions

Sometimes the best thing to help you get through the day is a nice distraction, and an LMH mixtape can be just the thing.  Allow yourself to be distracted by the wonderful arpeggios and multiple layers of the truly grand track "Ending" from Magical Chase.  "Name Entry" from Suzuka 8 Hours is a smooth track with a great melody, and "Red Owl" from Last Bible III is a totally bonk jam.  But don't get too distracted, because there's still so much more.  This is some top notch VGM.

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant Favorite: Magical Chase - Ending

Another Favorite: Last Bible III - Red Owl

Most Relaxing: Suzuka 8 Hours - Name Entry

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2025/05/episode-284-nice-distractions.html

LMH Mixtape #283: Happy Beginnings

Happy Beginnings means (among other things) that this mixtape begins with an absolute banger.  Divine Bloodlines (Stage 1 BGM) from Dracula X on the SNES is a very faithful rendition of the original CD version, with sampled electric guitar and some killer bass guitar.  Castle Theme from Valkyrie no Densetsu has a very regal sound, with some great sampled choir voices.

This mixtape isn't just happy beginnings though.  We cap off this mixtape with a relaxing tropical sounding track, "Other Match Results" from Ganbare Pennant Race!  But you can't get to that point without the happy beginning.  So don't worry, hit play, and be happy!

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Blatant Favoritism Award: Castlevania: Dracula X - Divine Bloodlines (Stage 1 BGM)

Instant Favorite: Surprise Attack - Reap the Reward (Bonus)

Chill Favorite: Ganbare Pennant Race! - Other Match Results

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2025/03/episode-283-happy-beginnings.html

Episode 293: Asiatic Music 3

Not since 2013 has the Legacy Music Hour done a focus on music with an Asiatic influence, but as they've been doing more themed episodes lately, here it is once again.  Some pretty standard picks here from games like Shinobi and Legend of the Mystical Ninja, but maybe a couple lesser known titles as well, all employing some kind of Far East element, even if sometimes subtly.  Brent and Rob are also sick for this episode, but Brent is noticeably and audibly sick, so beware of and sorry about that.  Full track listing below.

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Game - Composer - Track - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones - Akira Inoue (Inoue), Takaro Nozaki (Nazaki), Michiya Hirasawa (Hirarin) (arr.), Yoshihiro Kameoka (Kame) (arr.) - Mission 3: Japan (Outside) - Technos/Acclaim - NES - 1991

Super Ninja-kun - Takahiro Ogata - Stages 2-1 (Main Music) - Jaleco - Super Famicom - 1994

Super Ninja-kun - Takahiro Ogata - Stages 6 and 8-1 (Main Music) - Jaleco - Super Famicom - 1994

The Legend of the Mystical Ninja - Harumi Ueko - Headquarters of the Otafu Army (“Eat Black Soy Beans”) - Konami - SNES - 1992

Hana Taaka Daka!? - Kinuyo Yamashita - Junko O. No. 1 - Natsume/Taito - PC Engine - 1991

Hi no Tori: Gaou no Bouken - Iku Mizutani (Funny Iku), Hidenori Maezawa (Dandy Hidenori), Kinuyo Yamashita (Charming Kinuyo) - Present - Konami - Famicom - 1987

Shinobi - Yasuhiro Kawakami - BGM 1 (Mission 1-1, 2-3, 4-1, 5-2) - Sega - arcade - 1987

Ganbare Goemon Kirakira Douchuu: Boku ga Dancer ni Natta Wake - Kazuhiko Uehara, Yukie Morimoto - Water Fortress Revisited - Konami - Super Famicom - 1995

Tenchi Souzou - Miyoko Kobayashi, Masanori Hikichi - Neotokio - Quintet/Enix - Super Famicom - 1995

Ganbare Goemon Kirakira Douchuu: Boku ga Dancer ni Natta Wake - Kazuhiko Uehara, Yukie Morimoto - Desert Moon Forest - Konami - Super Famicom - 1995

P.T.O. II: Pacific Theatre of Operations - Yoichiro Yoshikawa - American Weapon Production - Koei - SNES - 1995

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master - Masayuki Nagao, Hirofumi Murasaki, Morihiko Akiyama - Izayoi - Sega - Genesis - 1993

Illusion of Gaia - Yasuhiro Kawasaki - Golden Road - Quintet/Enix - SNES - 1994

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master - Masayuki Nagao, Hirofumi Murasaki, Morihiko Akiyama - Japonesque - Sega - Genesis - 1993

LMH Mixtape #282: Super Famicom

Japanese exclusive Super Famicom games was the focus here.  Much of the best VGM from the third and fourth generation never made it out of Japan.  Luckily for you though, the LMH boizz are here to share some of these incredibly smooth, jazzy, and just plain bonk tracks with you.  Energetic and memorable tracks like "Ending" from Drift King Shutokou Battle '94: Tsuchiya Keiichi & Bandou Masaaki.  "International School" from Mini-Yonku Let's & Go!! Power WGP 2 is a totally funky jam with punchy bass.  "BGM 3" from The Masters: Harukanaru Augusta 2 is a very bright and bouncy piece that will stick with you.  Basically, there's just a lot of really great stuff to check out in this mixtape, so let's explore some of Japan's best kept secrets.

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant Favorite: Drift King Shutokou Battle '94 - Ending 

Another Favorite: Final Stretch - System Configuration

And Another Favorite: Pro Mahjong Kiwame III - Expert Challenge Ending

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2025/03/episode-282-super-famicom.html

LMH Mixtape #281: AI

The subject of artificial intelligence was a loose theme in Episode 281.  But don't worry, no A.I. was used to create this mixtape.  Just some great taste and a lot of great music.  Things start off with "Boat Fishing at Kenzaki" from Fishing Koushien.  You can always count on fishing games to bring the jams.  "Military" from Rise of the Robots features some distinctive western style arpeggios.  "The Sky’s Brilliance" from Energy Breaker has a really rich and smooth sound, with a country style.  This is real and good music here, nothing artificial about it.

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant Favorite: Popful Mail - Jungle

Another Favorite: Fishing Koushien - Boat Fishing at Kenzaki

Sounds like a peaceful country field: Energy Breaker - The Sky’s Brilliance

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2025/02/episode-281-ai.html

LMH Mixtape #280: Making Connections

The unofficial theme of this episode was "making connections."  For one, Rob had a running theme through his choices.  Did you catch the theme?  There were also a lot of connections made between tracks and other media of which those tracks were reminiscent.  For example, "Burning Fighter (Stage 3)" from Surprise Attack had parts that reminded the boizz of music from the movie Bloodsport.  Additionally, a specific part of that track reminds me (ManaTree) of a section from "Land of Confusion" by Genesis (the band, not the Sega console).  There's a lot of great music in this mix to explore, so take a listen and start making your own connections!

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MANATREE'S AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS

Instant Favorite: Surprise Attack - Burning Fighter (Stage 3)

Another Favorite: Hexion - 2P Co-op Mode (“Penguin Dance”)

Metal to the max!: Metal Max 2 - Wanted Person Battle

Track listing and original episode:

https://www.legacymusichour.com/2024/12/episode-280-making-connections.html

Episode 292: Orchestral Music

The focus here is orchestral music in games from the third and fourth generation.  What does "orchestral" even mean?  How many instruments are needed to form an orchestra?  The boizz have some trouble answering these questions, so maybe you can figure it out for yourself while listening to their selections.  Full track listing below.

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Game - Composer - Track - Company - Console - Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Jungle Wars 2 - Toshio Okamoto - Field (Night) - Atelier Double/Pony Canyon - Super Famicom - 1993

Albert Odyssey - Naoki Kodaka - Hometown Tibelis - Sunsoft - Super Famicom - 1993

Dark Kingdom - Jimmy & Patty - Ending - Nippon Telenet - Super Famicom - 1994

Heracles no Eikou IV: Kamigami-kara no Okurimono - Shogo Sakai - A New Sky - Data East - Super Famicom - 1994

Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse - Matt Furniss - Whirlwind - Traveller's Tales/Sony Imagesoft - Genesis - 1994

Robotrek - Ayako Yoda - Hometown in Autumn - Quintet/Enix - SNES - 1994

Shining in the Darkness - Masahiko Yoshimura - The Ancient Temple - Climax Entertainment - Genesis - 1991

Super Metroid - Kenji Yamamoto - Space Warrior (Samus Aran's Theme) - Nintendo - SNES - 1994

Heracles no Eikou III: Kamigami no Chinmoku - Seiji Momoi - Glory of Ancient Times - Data East - Super Famicom - 1992

Phelios - Yoshinori Kawamoto - Beast Typhon (Intermission 2, Chapter 7-2) - Namco - Genesis - 1990

Monster World IV - Jin Watanabe - Try the Trial (Tower of Silence) - West One/Sega - Mega Drive - 1994

Famicom Tantei Club Part II: Ushiro ni Tatsu - Kenji Yamamoto - Lyricism - Nintendo/TOSE - Super Famicom - 1998

Zig Zag Cat: Ostrich Club mo Oosawagi da - Masako Inata - More Paths to Go Down - Opera House/Den'Z - Super Famicom - 1994

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - Koji Kondo - Kakariko Village - Nintendo - SNES - 1992